Pair of Words PDF

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Pair of Words from CSS Past Papers
Pair of Words (1972)

Consciousness:
Meaning: the state of understanding and realizing something.
Use in sentence: Her consciousness that she's different makes her feel uneasy.
Conscientiousness:
Meaning: putting a lot of effort into your work/ controlled by or done
according to conscience
Use in sentence: She has always been a very conscientious worker.
Ingenious:
Meaning: very clever and skilful
Use in sentence: She was ingenious at finding ways to work more quickly.
Ingenuous:
Meaning: honest, sincere and trusting
Use in sentence: It has to be said it was rather ingenuous of him to ask a
complete stranger to look after his luggage.
Fantastic:
Meaning: extremely good
Use in sentence: You look fantastic in that dress.
Fanatical:
Meaning: describes someone whose admiration for something is considered to
be extreme or unreasonable
Use in sentence: His enthusiasm for aerobics was almost fanatical.
Honourable:
Meaning: a title used before the name of some government officials
Use in sentence: The Honourable Andrew Robinson
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Honorary:
Meaning: given as an honour to someone
Use in sentence: She received an honorary doctorate from Oxford University in
recognition of her work for the homeless.
Placable:
Meaning: to stop from being angry
Use in sentence: The Canaanites had many gods and they ran here, there and
everywhere to placate these gods.
Placeable:
Meaning: capable of being recognized
Use in sentence: An easy thing you could do is making clocks placeable on
walls.
Restive:
Meaning: unwilling to be controlled or be patient
Use in sentence: The audience was becoming restive as they waited for the
performance to begin.
Restless:
Meaning: unwilling or unable to stay still or to be quiet and calm, because you
are worried or bored
Use in sentence: He's a restless type - he never stays in one country for long.
(1975)
Virtuous:
Meaning: having good moral qualities and behavior
Use in sentence: He described them as a virtuous and hard-working people.
Virtual:
Meaning: describes something that can be done or seen using a computer and
therefore without going anywhere or talking to anyone
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Use in sentence: In tests, we have found the virtual machine runs at a
reasonable speed.

Amiable:
Meaning: describes a person or their behavior that is pleasant and friendly
Use in sentence: So amiable was the mood of the meeting that a decision was
soon reached.
Amicable:
Meaning: relating to behavior between people that is pleasant often despite a
difficult situation
Use in sentence: His manner was perfectly amicable but I felt uncomfortable.
Considerable:
Meaning: large or of noticeable importance
Use in sentence: The fire caused considerable damage to the church.
Considerate:
Meaning: kind and helpful
Use in sentence: She promises to be quieter and more considerate in future.
Ingenious:
Meaning: very clever and skillful
Ingenuous:
Meaning: honest, sincere and trusting
Momentary:
Meaning: lasting for a very short time
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Use in sentence: Be careful not to make even momentary short circuits with
metal tools.
Momentous:
Meaning: very important because of effects on future events
Use in sentence: Whether or not to move overseas was a momentous decision
for the family.
Par:
Meaning: the same as or equal to someone or something
Use in sentence: The regeneration of the city's downtown dock front will put it
on a par with Nice or Cannes.
At a par:
Meaning: A term that refers to a bond, preferred stock or other debt obligation
that is trading at its face value.
Use in sentence: Due to ever-changing interest rates, financial instruments
almost never trade exactly at par..
Compliment:
Meaning: remark that expresses approval, admiration or respect
Use in sentence: I take it as a compliment when people say I look like my
mother.
Complement:
Meaning: to make something else seem better or more attractive when
combining with it
Use in sentence: The music complements her voice perfectly.
Complacent:
Meaning: Satisfied
Use in sentence: We can't afford to become complacent about any of our
products.
Complaisant:
Meaning: willing to please; affably agreeable; obliging
Use in sentence: Can we really sit back and watch the suffering of a whole
nation and be so complaisant?
5
State:
Meaning: a country or its government
Use in sentence: Britain is one of the member states of the European Union.
Government:
Meaning: the group of people who officially control a country
Use in sentence: The government is expected to announce its/their tax
proposals today.

Eminent:
Meaning: famous, respected or important
Use in sentence: An eminent historian
Prominent:
Meaning: very well-known and important
Use in sentence: The government should be playing a more prominent role in
promoting human rights.
Below:
Meaning: in a lower position
Use in sentence: From the top of the skyscraper the cars below us looked like
insects.
Beneath:
Meaning: in or to a lower position
Use in sentence: Jeremy hid the letter beneath a pile of papers.
Portly:
Meaning: fat and round
Use in sentence: He was a portly figure in a tight-fitting jacket and bow tie.
Comely:
Meaning: describes a woman who is attractive in appearance
Use in sentence: She is very comely.
Setup:
Meaning: the way in which something is set up
Use in sentence: This allows simplified setup of Local Area Networking
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devices.
Set upon:
Meaning: to attack someone
Use in sentence: He was set upon by a vicious dog.

Shall:
Meaning: used instead of 'will' when the subject is 'I' or 'we'
Use in sentence: Shall we be able to get this finished today, do you think?
Will:
Meaning: used to talk about what is going to happen in the future, especially
things that you are certain about or things that are planned
Use in sentence: Clare will be five years old next month.
Sink:
Meaning: to (cause something or someone to) go down below the surface or to
the bottom of a liquid or soft substance
Use in sentence: Enemy aircraft sank two battleships.
Drown:
Meaning: to (cause to) die by being unable to breathe under water
Use in sentence: He drowned in a boating accident.
(1977)
Altar:
Meaning: a type of table used in ceremonies in a Christian church or in other
religious buildings
Use in sentence: A 3rd century Roman pagan altar was also recently found on
the site.
Alter:
Meaning: to change something
Use in sentence: We've had to alter some of our plans.
Apposite:
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Meaning: suitable and right for the occasion
Use in sentence: It is, however, apposite to note that this process will continue
in the year ahead.
Opposite:
Meaning: completely different
Use in sentence: You'd never know they're sisters - they're completely opposite
to each other in every way.
Bear:
Meaning: to accept, tolerate or endure especially something unpleasant
Use in sentence: It's your decision - you must bear the responsibility if things
go wrong.
Bare:
Meaning: without any clothes or not covered by anything
Use in sentence: Don't walk around outside in your bare feet.
Complacent:
Meaning: Satisfied
products.
Complaisant:
Confident:
Meaning: having confidence
Use in sentence: Be a bit more confident in yourself!
Confidant:
Meaning: a person you trust and share your feelings and secrets with
Use in sentence: Within a few short years he was a trusted confidant.
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Disease:
Meaning: illness of people, animals, plants, etc.
Use in sentence: Starvation and diseases have killed thousands of refugees.
Decease:
Meaning: a person's death
Use in sentence: The house will not be yours till after your mother's decease.

Gate:
Meaning: a part of a fence or outside wall that is fixed at one side and opens
and closes like a door
Use in sentence: Take the next right turning through a large iron gate onto a
cobbled road.
Gait:
Meaning: a particular way of walking
Use in sentence: He walked with a slow stiff gait.
Judicial:
Meaning: involving a court of law
Use in sentence: The defense team will seek a judicial review of the sentence.
Judicious:
Meaning: having or showing reason and good judgment in making decisions
Use in sentence: We should make judicious use of the resources available to us.
Ingenious:
Ingenuous:
Meaning: honest, sincere and trusting/ showing innocent or childlike
simplicity and candidness
Yoke:
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Meaning: a wooden bar which is fastened over the necks of two animals,
especially cattle, and connected to the vehicle or load that they are pulling
Use in sentence: In just a few weeks another 10 nations, many freed from the
yoke of Communist oppression.
Yolk:
Meaning: the yellow, middle part of an egg
Use in sentence: I like eggs lightly cooked so that the yolk is still runny.
Affection:
Meaning: a feeling of liking for a person or place
Use in sentence: He had a deep affection for his aunt.
Affectation:
Meaning: behavior or speech that is not sincere
Use in sentence: She has so many little affectations.
Urban:
Meaning: of or in a city or town
Use in sentence: The development is clearly urban in character, but lacks local
shops and facilities.
Urbane:
Meaning: confident, comfortable and polite in social situations
Use in sentence: He was always well informed and brought an urbane
authority to everything he did.
Official:
Meaning: relating to a position of responsibility
Use in sentence: He visited China in his official capacity as America's trade
representative.
Officious:
Meaning: too eager to tell people what to do and having too high an opinion of
your own importance
Use in sentence: He's an officious little man and widely disliked in the
company.
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Beside:
Meaning: at the side of, next to
Use in sentence: Come and sit here beside me.
Besides:
Meaning: in addition to; also
Use in sentence: Do you play any other sports besides football and basketball?
Casual:
Meaning: describes clothes that are not formal or not suitable for special
occasions
Use in sentence: I dress casual as I am in a casual setting.
Causal:
Meaning: a relationship, link, etc. between two things in which one causes the
other
Use in sentence: Is there a causal relationship between violence on television
and violent behavior?
Pour:
Meaning: to make a substance flow from a container, especially into another
container, by raising just one side of the container that the substance is in
Use in sentence: I spilled the juice while I was pouring it.
Pore:
Meaning: a very small hole in the skin of people or other animals, or a similar
hole on the surface of plants or rocks
Use in sentence: Sweat passes through the pores and cools the body down.
Humiliation:
Meaning: to make someone feel ashamed or lose their respect for themselves
Use in sentence: How could you humiliate me by questioning my judgment in
front of everyone like that?
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Humility:
Meaning: the quality of not being proud because you are conscious of your bad
qualities
Use in sentence: He doesn't have the humility to admit when he's wrong.
Temporal:
Meaning: relating to practical matters or physical things, rather than spiritual
ones
Use in sentence: Her starting point: 'The future is the only temporal area over
which people have power’.
Temporary:
Meaning: not lasting or needed for very long
Use in sentence: The ceasefire will only provide a temporary solution to the
crisis.
(1979)
Cession:
Meaning: a ceding or giving up (of rights, property, territory, etc.) to another
Use in sentence: The Sino-Japanese War (1894-95) led to further cessions of
territory by China.
Session:
Meaning: a formal meeting or series of meetings of an organization such as a
parliament or a law court
Use in sentence: The parliamentary session is due to end on May 27th.
Canon:
Meaning: a Christian priest with special duties in a cathedral
Use in sentence: He was first appointed as a residentiary canon and only
became Chancellor after several years with us.
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Cannon:
Meaning: a large, mounted piece of artillery; sometimes, specif., a large gun
with a relatively short barrel, as a howitzer
Use in sentence: Instead of eight machine guns, it now had twelve, or four
20mm cannon.
Barbarism:
Meaning: extremely cruel and unpleasant behavior
Use in sentence: He witnessed some appalling acts of barbarism during the
war.
Barbarity:
Meaning: behavior that is very cruel, or a very cruel act
Use in sentence: This barbarity must cease!
Artist:
Meaning: someone who paints, draws or makes sculptures
Use in sentence: Monet is one of my favorite artists.
Artisan:
Meaning: a person who does skilled work with his or her hands
Use in sentence: They were concerned about the skilled artisan, not the factory
masses.
Antic:
Meaning: funny, silly or strange behavior
Use in sentence: But the rock-star whose stage antics used to include smashing
guitars is older and wiser now.
Antique:
Meaning: something made in an earlier period and collected and valued
because it is beautiful, rare, old or of high quality
Use in sentence: My mother collects antiques.
Illusion:
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Meaning: an idea or belief which is not true
Use in sentence: He had no illusions about his talents as a singer.
Allusion:
Meaning: something that is said or written that is intended to make you think
of a particular thing or person
Use in sentence: Her novels are packed with literary allusions.
Aspire:
Meaning: to have a strong want or hope to do or have something
Use in sentence: Few people who aspire to fame ever achieve it.
Expire:
Meaning: If something which lasts for a fixed length of time expires, it comes to
an end or stops being in use
Use in sentence: Our television license expires next month.
Collision:
Meaning: an accident that happens when two vehicles hit each other with force
Use in sentence: There has been a collision on the southbound stretch of the
motorway.
Collusion:
Meaning: agreement between people to act together secretly or illegally in
order to deceive or cheat someone
Use in sentence: It is thought that they worked in collusion with the terrorist
network.
Counsel:
Meaning: to give advice, especially on social or personal problems
Use in sentence: The police have provided experts to counsel local people
affected by the tragedy.
Council:
Meaning: a group of people elected or chosen to make decisions or give advice
on a particular subject
Use in sentence: This play is supported by a grant from the local arts council.
Expedient:
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Meaning: helpful or useful in a particular situation, but sometimes not morally
acceptable
Use in sentence: It might be expedient not to pay him until the work is finished.
Expeditious:
Meaning: quick
Use in sentence: The bank was expeditious in replying to my letter.
Canvas:
Meaning: a piece of cloth used by artists for painting on, usually with oil paints,
or the painting itself
Use in sentence: These two canvases by Hockney would sell for £500 000.
Canvass:
Meaning: to try to get political support or votes, especially by visiting all the
houses in an area
Use in sentence: I've been out canvassing for the Labor Party every evening this
week.
Cast:
Meaning: to choose actors to play particular parts in a play, film or show
Use in sentence: He was often cast as the villain.
Caste:
Meaning: a system of dividing Hindu society into classes, or any of these
classes
Use in sentence: The Indian government banned caste discrimination at
independence from Britain in 1947.
Appraise:
Meaning: to examine someone or something in order to judge their qualities,
success or needs
Use in sentence: At the end of each teaching practice, trainee teachers are asked
to appraise their own performance.
Apprise:
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Meaning: to tell someone about something
Use in sentence: The President has been apprised of the situation.

Ingenious:
Meaning: very clever and skilful
Ingenuous:
Continual:
Meaning: happening repeatedly, usually in an annoying or not convenient way
Use in sentence: I've had continual problems with this car ever since I bought it.
Continuous:
Meaning: without a pause or interruption
Use in sentence: My computer makes a continuous low buzzing noise.
Berth:
Meaning: a bed in a boat, train, etc., or a place for a ship or boat to stay in a port
Use in sentence: She booked a berth on the train from London to Aberdeen.
Birth:
Meaning: Child’s birth
Use in sentence: He weighed eight pounds at birth.
Apposite:
in the year ahead.
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Opposite:
Artist:
Meaning: someone who paints, draws or makes sculptures
Use in sentence: Monet is one of my favorite artists.
Artiste:
Meaning: a skilled performer, especially a dancer, singer or actor
Use in sentence: Denise has been a solo artiste for over 20 years working all
over the world.
Adapt:
Meaning: to change something to suit different conditions or uses
Use in sentence: Many software companies have adapted popular programs to
the new operating system.
Adopt:
Meaning: to choose or take as your own
Use in sentence: Dr Kennedy has been adopted as the party's candidate for
South Cambridge.
(1982)
Mitigate:
Meaning: to make something less harmful, unpleasant or bad
Use in sentence: It is unclear how to mitigate the effects of tourism on the
island.
Alleviate:
Meaning: to make something bad such as pain or problems less severe
Use in sentence: The drugs did nothing to alleviate her pain/suffering.
Persecute:
Meaning: to treat someone unfairly or cruelly over a long period of time
because of their race, religion, or political beliefs or to annoy someone by
refusing to leave them alone
Use in sentence: Religious minorities were persecuted and massacred during
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the ten-year regime.
Prosecute:
Meaning: to officially accuse someone of committing a crime in a court of law,
Use in sentence: He was prosecuted for fraud.
Popular:
Meaning: liked, enjoyed or supported by many people
Use in sentence: She's the most popular teacher in school.
Populace:
Meaning: the ordinary people who live in a particular country or place
Use in sentence: Some studies show that workers in the nuclear industry are
more likely than the general populace to get cancer.
Compliment:
mother.
Complement:
combining with it
Excite:
Meaning: to make someone have strong feelings of happiness and enthusiasm
Use in sentence: Nothing about my life excites me at present.
Incite:
Meaning: to encourage someone to do or feel something unpleasant or violent
Use in sentence: She was expelled for inciting her classmates to rebel against
their teachers.
Voracity:
Meaning: excessive desire to eat
Use in sentence: On reaching the ship they were offered some bread, which
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they devoured with a voracious appetite.
Veracity:
Meaning: the quality of being true, honest or accurate
Use in sentence: The veracity of the second claim can be tested against the
findings of archeology.
Virtuous:
Virtual:
reasonable speed.
Exceptional:
Meaning: much greater than usual, especially in skill, intelligence, quality, etc
Use in sentence: The Company has shown exceptional growth over the past
two years.
Exceptionable:
Meaning: offensive or upsetting
Use in sentence: This action is normally only taken in exceptionable
circumstances.
(1983)
Illusion:
Allusion:
Use in sentence: Her novels are packed with literary allusions.
Ardor:
Meaning: great enthusiasm or love
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Use in sentence: Similarly, the Japanese seem to have less ardor for luxury
goods than in the boom years of the late 90s.
Conquer:
Meaning: to take control or possession of foreign land, or a group of people, by
force
Use in sentence: The Spanish conquered the New World in the 16th century.
Concur:
Meaning: to agree with someone or have the same opinion as someone else
Use in sentence: The new report concurs with previous findings.
Cite:
Meaning: to mention something as proof for a theory or as a reason why
something has happened
Use in sentence: She cited three reasons why people get into debt.
Site:
Meaning: a place where something is, was, or will be built, or where something
happened, is happening, or will happen
Use in sentence: The council hasn’t yet chosen the site for the new hospital.
Addict:
Meaning: a person who cannot stop doing or using something, especially
something harmful
Use in sentence: There are a reported two million male cocaine addicts in the
US.
Edict:
Meaning: an official order, especially one which is given in a forceful and unfair
way
Use in sentence: Most shops are ignoring the government's edict against
Sunday trading.
Proceed:
Meaning: to continue as planned
Use in sentence: His lawyers have decided not to proceed with the case.
Precede:
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Meaning: to be or go before something or someone in time or space
Use in sentence: It would be helpful if you were to precede the report with an
introduction.
Right:
Meaning: correct
Use in sentence: You got three answers right and two wrong.
Rite:
Meaning: a set of fixed words and actions
Use in sentence: You have to go through an initiation rite before you become a
full member.
Weather:
Meaning: the conditions in the air above the Earth such as wind, rain or
temperature, especially at a particular time over a particular area
Use in sentence: The weather in the hills can change very quickly, so take
suitable clothing.
Whether:
Meaning: if, or not
Use in sentence: I wasn't sure whether you'd like it.
(1985)
Eminent:
Meaning: famous, respected or important
Use in sentence: An eminent historian
Imminent:
Meaning: coming or likely to happen very soon
Use in sentence: A strike is imminent.
Deference:
Meaning: respect and politeness
Use in sentence: He treats her with such deference.
Difference:
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Meaning: the way in which two or more things which you are comparing are
not the same
Use in sentence: What's the difference between an ape and a monkey?
Eligible:
Meaning: having the necessary qualities or satisfying the necessary conditions
Use in sentence: Only people over 18 are eligible to vote.
Illegible:
Meaning: impossible or almost impossible to read because of being very untidy
or not clear
Use in sentence: His writing is almost illegible.
Judicial:
Judicious:
Superficial:
Meaning: never thinking about things that are serious or important
Use in sentence: He's fun to be with, but he's very superficial.
Superfluous:
Meaning: more than is needed or wanted
Use in sentence: The report was marred by a mass of superfluous detail.
Immigrant:
Meaning: a person who has come to a different country in order to live there
permanently
Use in sentence: Illegal immigrants are sent back across the border if they are
caught.
Emigrant:
Meaning: a person who emigrates
Use in sentence: There was only a small number of emigrants on board.
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Contemptible:
Meaning: deserving contempt
Use in sentence: Her behavior was contemptible.
Contemptuous:
Meaning: expressing contempt
Use in sentence: He was very contemptuous of 'popular' writers, whom he
described as having no talent.
Rightful:
Meaning: A rightful position or claim is one which is morally or legally correct
Use in sentence: Don't forget that I am the rightful owner of this house.
Righteous:
Meaning: morally correct
Use in sentence: He was regarded as a righteous and holy man.
Ingenious:
Ingenuous:
(1986)
Compliment:
mother.
Complement:
combining with it
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Outbreak:
Meaning: a time when something suddenly begins, especially a disease or
something else dangerous or unpleasant
Use in sentence: Last weekend saw further thundery outbreaks.
Breakout:
Meaning: a violent escape, especially by a group, from prison
Use in sentence: There has been a mass breakout from one of Germany's top
security jails.
Facilitate:
Meaning: to make possible or easier
Use in sentence: The current structure does not facilitate efficient work flow.
Felicitate:
Meaning: to wish happiness to; congratulate
Use in sentence: Asian medal winners to be felicitated next Sunday.
Proceed:
Meaning: to continue as planned
Use in sentence: His lawyers have decided not to proceed with the case.
Precede:
Meaning: to be or go before something or someone in time or space
Use in sentence: It would be helpful if you were to precede the report with an
introduction.
Layout:
Meaning: the way that something is arranged
Use in sentence: I like the layout of the house.
Outlay:
Meaning: an amount of money spent for a particular purpose, especially as a
first investment in something
Use in sentence: For an initial outlay of £2000 to buy the equipment, you
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should be earning up to £500 a month if the product sells well.
Cease:
Meaning: to stop something
Use in sentence: The Company has decided to cease all UK operations after this
year.
Seize:
Meaning: to take something quickly and keep or hold it
Use in sentence: I seized his arm and made him turn to look at me.
Career:
Meaning: a profession or occupation which one trains for and pursues as a
lifework
Use in sentence: Graduates may pursue careers in the public or private sector.
Carrier:
Meaning: a person or thing that carries something
Use in sentence: The parcels carriers used by most online retailers tend to be
less flexible.
Acculturate:
Meaning: to undergo, or alter by acculturation
Use in sentence: Today the Iroquois are highly acculturated, holding jobs in
communities surrounding the reservations.
Acclimatize:
Meaning: to (cause to) change to suit different conditions of life, weather, etc
Use in sentence: We found it impossible to acclimatize ourselves to the new
working conditions.
(1987)
Disclosure:
Meaning: the act of making something known or the fact that is made known
Use in sentence: Any public disclosure of this information would be very
damaging to the company.
Exposure:
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Meaning: when something bad that someone has done is made public
Use in sentence: The exposure of the minister's love affair forced him to resign.
Rigorous:
Meaning: very strict or harsh
Use in sentence: We shall now proceed by making the discussion more
rigorous.
Vigorous:
Meaning: very forceful or energetic
Use in sentence: There has been vigorous opposition to the proposals for a new
road.
Custom:
Meaning: a way of behaving or a belief which has been established for a long
time
Use in sentence: An ancient custom was for the oldest son to have a double
portion of the inheritance.
Habit:
Meaning: something which you do often and regularly, sometimes without
knowing that you are doing it
Use in sentence: I always buy the same brand of toothpaste just out of habit.
Peculiar:
Meaning: unusual and strange, sometimes in an unpleasant way
Use in sentence: She has the most peculiar ideas.
Particular:
Meaning: special, or this and not any other
Use in sentence: She wanted a particular type of cactus.
Prescribe:
Meaning: to say what medical treatment someone should have
Use in sentence: The drug is often prescribed for ulcers.
Proscribe:
Meaning: to not allow something
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Use in sentence: The Athletics Federation has banned the runner from future
races for using proscribed drugs.
Accident:
Meaning: something bad which happens that is not expected or intended, and
which often damages something or injures someone
Use in sentence: Josh had an accident and spilled water all over his work.
Incident:
Meaning: something that happens; happening; occurrence
Use in sentence: We also investigate incidents which affect, or could affect,
drinking water quality.
Choice:
Meaning: an act or the possibility of choosing
Use in sentence: If the product doesn't work, you are given the choice of a
refund or a replacement.
Preference:
Meaning: when you like something or someone more than another person or
thing
Use in sentence: Her preference is for comfortable rather than stylish clothes.
Ascent:
Meaning: when someone or something climbs or moves upwards
Use in sentence: As the plane made its ascent, we saw thick smoke coming
from one engine.
Assent:
Meaning: official agreement to or approval of an idea, plan or request
Use in sentence: Once the directors have given their assent to the proposal we
can begin.
Immigrant:
permanently
27
caught.

Emigrant:
Continual:
Meaning: happening repeatedly, usually in an annoying or not convenient way
Use in sentence: I've had continual problems with this car ever since I bought it.
Continuous:
Meaning: without a pause or interruption
Use in sentence: My computer makes a continuous low buzzing noise.
(1988)
Custom:
Meaning: a way of behaving or a belief which has been established for a long
time
Use in sentence: An ancient custom was for the oldest son to have a double
portion of the inheritance.
Habit:
Meaning: something which you do often and regularly, sometimes without
knowing that you are doing it
Use in sentence: I always buy the same brand of toothpaste just out of habit.
Deface:
Meaning: to damage and spoil the appearance of something by writing or
drawing on it
Use in sentence: He was fined for defacing library books.
Efface:
Meaning: to remove something intentionally
Use in sentence: The whole country had tried to efface the memory of the old
dictatorship.
Feet:
Meaning: plural of foot
Use in sentence: Your feet look horrible.
Feat:
Meaning: something difficult needing a lot of skill, strength, bravery, etc. to
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achieve it
Use in sentence: The Eiffel Tower is a remarkable feat of engineering.
Differ:
Meaning: to be not like something or someone else, either physically or in
another way
Use in sentence: The twins look alike, but they differ in temperament.
Defer:
Meaning: to delay something until a later time; to postpone
Use in sentence: My bank has agreed to defer the repayments on my loan while
I'm still a student.
Conduct:
Meaning: to behave in a particular way, especially in a public or a formal
situation, or to organize the way in which you live in a particular way
Use in sentence: How should I conduct myself at these dinners? I know nothing
about etiquette.
Character:
Meaning: the particular combination of qualities in a person or place that
makes them different from others
Use in sentence: Politeness is traditionally part of the British character.
Considerable:
Meaning: large or of noticeable importance
Use in sentence: The fire caused considerable damage to the church.
Considerate:
Meaning: kind and helpful
Use in sentence: She promises to be quieter and more considerate in future.
Compliment:
mother.
Complement:
29
combining with it
Fair:
Meaning: just and honest; impartial
Use in sentence: It's not fair that she's allowed to go and I'm not!
Fare:
Meaning: the money that you pay for a journey on a vehicle such as a bus or
train
Use in sentence: Train fares are going up again.
Enviable:
Meaning: good enough to be envied or desired
Use in sentence: She's in the enviable position of being able to choose who she
works for.
Envious:
Meaning: wishing you had what another person has
Use in sentence: I'm very envious of your new coat - it's lovely.
(1989)
Collision:
motorway.
Collusion:
network.
Verbal:
Meaning: spoken rather than written
Use in sentence: Airport officials received a stream of verbal abuse from angry
passengers whose flights had been delayed.
30
Verbose:
Meaning: using or containing more words than are necessary
Use in sentence: He was a notoriously verbose after-dinner speaker.
Facilitate:
Felicitate:
Consciousness:
Meaning: the state of understanding and realizing something.
Use in sentence: Her consciousness that she's different makes her feel uneasy.
Conscientiousness:
Wave:
Meaning: to raise your hand and move it from side to side as a way of greeting
someone
Use in sentence: I waved to him from the window but he didn't see me.
Waive:
Meaning: to give up or forgo (a right, claim, privilege, etc.)
Use in sentence: The bank manager waived the charge as we were old and
valued customers.
Wreck:
Meaning: to destroy or badly damage something
Use in sentence: Our greenhouse was wrecked in last night's storm.
Wreak:
Meaning: to cause something to happen in a violent and often uncontrolled
31
way
Use in sentence: The recent storms have wreaked havoc on crops.
Virtuous:
Virtual:
reasonable speed.
Flatter:
Meaning: to praise someone in order to make them feel attractive or important,
sometimes in a way that is not sincere
Use in sentence: I knew he was only flattering me because he wanted to borrow
some money.
Flutter:
Meaning: to make a series of quick delicate movements up and down or from
side to side, or to cause something to do this
Use in sentence: Brightly coloured flags were fluttering in the breeze.
Deference:
Meaning: respect and politeness
Use in sentence: He treats her with such deference.
Difference:
Meaning: the way in which two or more things which you are comparing are
not the same
Use in sentence: What's the difference between an ape and a monkey?
Humiliation:
Meaning: to make someone feel ashamed or lose their respect for themselves
Use in sentence: How could you humiliate me by questioning my judgment in
front of everyone like that?
32
Humility:
Meaning: the quality of not being proud because you are conscious of your bad
qualities
Use in sentence: He doesn't have the humility to admit when he's wrong.
Adept:
Meaning: having a natural ability to do something that needs skill
Use in sentence: She's very adept at dealing with the media.
Adapt:
Meaning: to change something to suit different conditions or uses
Use in sentence: Many software companies have adapted popular programs to
the new operating system.
Adopt:
Meaning: to choose or take as your own
Use in sentence: Dr Kennedy has been adopted as the party's candidate for
South Cambridge.
Alleged:
Meaning: said or thought by some people to be the stated bad or illegal thing
Use in sentence: It took 15 years for the alleged criminals to prove their
innocence.
Accused:
Meaning: the person who is on trial in a court or the people on trial in a court
Use in sentence: The accused protested her innocence.
Suspected:
Meaning: to think or believe something to be true or probable
Use in sentence: So far, the police do not suspect foul play.
Bear:
Meaning: to accept, tolerate or endure especially something unpleasant
Use in sentence: It's your decision - you must bear the responsibility if things
go wrong.
Borne:
Meaning: past participle of bear
33
Use in sentence: The weight was more than could be borne by a lone man
Born:
Meaning: brought into life by birth
Use in sentence: She was born in 1950.
Raise:
Meaning: to lift something to a higher position
Use in sentence: Would all those in favor please raise their hands?
Rise:
Meaning: to move upwards
Use in sentence: New buildings are rising throughout the city.
Raze:
Meaning: to completely destroy a city, building, etc
Use in sentence: The town was razed to the ground in the bombing raid - not a
building was left standing.
Smell:
Meaning: to have a particular quality that others can notice with their noses
Use in sentence: That cake smells good.
Stink:
Meaning: to smell very unpleasant
Use in sentence: The woman next to me sprayed on some perfume and stank
up the whole shop
Scent:
Meaning: a pleasant natural smell
Use in sentence: The scent of roses
Least:
Meaning: less than anything or anyone else; the smallest amount or number
Use in sentence: This group is the least likely of the four to win.
Less:
Meaning: a smaller amount (of); not so much, or to a smaller degree
Use in sentence: We must try to spend less money.
34
Lest:
Meaning: in order to prevent any possibility that something will happen
Use in sentence: They were afraid to complain about the noise lest they
annoyed the neighbors.
Quiet:
Meaning: making very little noise
Use in sentence: It's so quiet without the kids here.
Quite:
Meaning: a little or a lot but not completely
Use in sentence: I'm quite tired but I can certainly walk a little further.
Their:
Meaning: of or belonging to them
Use in sentence: He gave them their coats.
There:
Meaning: that place
Use in sentence: Put the chair there.
They’re:
Meaning: they are
Use in sentence: They're so annoying.
(1991)
Access:
Meaning: the method or possibility of getting near to a place or person, or the
right to use or look at something
Use in sentence: The only access to the village is by boat.
Excess:
Meaning: an amount which is more than acceptable, expected or reasonable
Use in sentence: An excess of enthusiasm is not always a good thing.
Ascent:
from one engine.
35
Accent:
Meaning: the way in which people in a particular area, country or social group
pronounce words
Use in sentence: He's got a strong Scottish accent.

Resources:
Meaning: a useful or valuable possession or quality of a country, organization
or person
Use in sentence: The country's greatest resource is the dedication of its workers.
Recourse:
Meaning: using something or someone as a way of getting help, especially in a
difficult or dangerous situation
Use in sentence: It is hoped that the dispute will be settled without recourse to
litigation.
Weather:
Meaning: the conditions in the air above the Earth such as wind, rain or
temperature, especially at a particular time over a particular area
Use in sentence: The weather in the hills can change very quickly, so take
suitable clothing.
Whether:
Meaning: if, or not
Use in sentence: I wasn't sure whether you'd like it.
Premier:
Meaning: best or most important
Use in sentence: He's one of the nation's premier scientists.
Premiere:
Meaning: the first public performance of a play or any other type of
entertainment
Use in sentence: The world premiere of the opera will be at the Metropolitan
Opera House in New York.
Ingenious:
36
Ingenuous:
Meaning: honest, sincere and trusting/ showing innocent Use in sentence: It
has to be said it was rather ingenuous of him to ask a complete stranger to look
after his luggage.
Facilitate:
Felicitate:
Conscious:
Meaning: to notice that a particular thing or person exists or is present
Use in sentence: I think she's very conscious of being the only person in the
office who didn't have a university education.
Conscientious:
Disease:
Meaning: illness of people, animals, plants, etc.
Use in sentence: Starvation and diseases have killed thousands of refugees.
Decease:
Meaning: a person's death
Use in sentence: The house will not be yours till after your mother's decease.
(1992)
Ascent:
from one engine.
37
Assent:
Meaning: official agreement to or approval of an idea, plan or request
Use in sentence: Once the directors have given their assent to the proposal we
can begin.
Ballot:
Meaning: a system or occasion of secret voting
Use in sentence: They decided to hold a ballot.
Ballet:
Meaning: a type of dancing where carefully organized movements tell a story
or express an idea
Use in sentence: By the age of fifteen he had already composed his first ballet.
Corps:
Meaning: a military unit trained to perform particular duties
Use in sentence: The EU could set up the "external action service,” a kind of EU
diplomatic corps.
Corpse:
Meaning: a dead body, usually of a person
Use in sentence: In the morning they found his corpse on the ground.
Due:
Meaning: expected to happen, arrive, etc. at a particular time
Use in sentence: The next meeting is due to be held in three months' time.
Dew:
Meaning: drops of water that form on the ground and other surfaces outside
during the night
Use in sentence: There was moderate dew on the grass.
Diary:
Meaning: a book with a separate space or page for each day, in which you write
down your future arrangements, meetings, etc., or one used to record your
thoughts and feelings or what has happened on that day
Use in sentence: Don't forget to write the date of the meeting in your diary.
Dairy:
38
Meaning: A commercial establishment for processing or selling milk and milk
products.
Use in sentence: Dairy farm may be supplied by water from a nearby spring.
Momentary:
Meaning: lasting for a very short time
Use in sentence: Be careful not to make even momentary short circuits with
metal tools.
Momentous:
Meaning: very important because of effects on future events
Use in sentence: Whether or not to move overseas was a momentous decision
for the family.
Route:
Meaning: a particular way or direction between places
Use in sentence: The route we had planned took us right across Greece.
Rout:
Meaning: to defeat an enemy completely and force them to run away
Use in sentence: The Russian chess team has routed all the rest.
(1993)
Queue:
Meaning: a line of people, usually standing or in cars, waiting for something
Use in sentence: There was a long queue of traffic stretching down the road.
Cue:
Meaning: a signal for someone to do something
Use in sentence: They started washing up, so that was our cue to leave the
party.
Differ:
another way
Use in sentence: The twins look alike, but they differ in temperament.
39
Defer:
Meaning: to delay something until a later time; to postpone
Use in sentence: My bank has agreed to defer the repayments on my loan while
I'm still a student.
Conscious:
Meaning: to notice that a particular thing or person exists or is present
Use in sentence: I think she's very conscious of being the only person in the
office who didn't have a university education.
Conscience:
Meaning: the part of you that judges how moral your own actions are and
makes you feel guilty about bad things that you have done
Use in sentence: You didn't do anything wrong - you should have a clear
conscience.
Confidant:
Meaning: a person you trust and share your feelings and secrets with
Confidante:
Meaning: a woman or girl confidant
Atheist:
Meaning: someone who believes that God or gods do not exist
Use in sentence: I know an atheist who says ' Oh god!
Agnostic:
Meaning: someone who does not know, or believes that it is impossible to
know, whether a god exists
Use in sentence: Although he was raised a Catholic, he was an agnostic for
most of his adult life.
Loose:
Meaning: not firmly fixed in place
Use in sentence: There were some loose wires hanging out of the wall.
Lose:
40
Meaning: to no longer have something because you do not know where it is, or
because it has been taken away from you
Use in sentence: I've lost my ticket.
Briefing:
Meaning: information that is given to someone just before they do something or
a meeting where this happens
Use in sentence: They received thorough briefing before they left the country.
Debriefing:
Meaning: to question someone in detail about work they have done for you
Use in sentence: The pilots were thoroughly debriefed after every mission.
Dual:
Meaning: with two parts, or combining two things
Use in sentence: This room has a dual purpose, serving as both a study and a
dining room.
Duel:
Meaning: a formal fight in the past, using guns or swords, arranged between
two people as a way of deciding an argument
Use in sentence: The composer Strauss was once challenged to a duel.
Compliment:
mother.
Complement:
combining with it
(1994)
All:
Meaning: every one (of), or the complete amount or number (of), or the whole
(of)
Use in sentence: All animals have to eat in order to live.
41
Awl:
Meaning: a small, pointed tool for making holes in wood, leather, etc.
Use in sentence: That awl causes loud noise.
Boy:
Meaning: a male child
Use in sentence: As a young boy, my father used to walk three miles to school.
Buoy:
Meaning: a floating object on the top of the sea, which is used for directing
ships and warning them of possible danger
Use in sentence: The zones for swimming and the zones for water sports are
clearly marked by buoys.
Fallow:
Meaning: describes land that is not planted with crops, in order to improve the
quality of the soil
Use in sentence: Farmers are eligible for government support if they let a
certain amount of land lie fallow.
Fellow:
Meaning: describes someone who has the same job or interests as you, or is in
the same situation as you
Use in sentence: She introduced me to some of her fellow students.
Jewry:
Meaning: all the Jews
Use in sentence: Dr. Lisa is an expert of Latin American Jewry.
Jury:
Meaning: a group of people who have been chosen to listen to all the facts in a
trial in a law court and to decide whether a person is guilty or not guilty
Use in sentence: Police officers aren't usually allowed to be on a jury.
Functional:
Meaning: designed to be practical and useful rather than attractive
Use in sentence: Project work is used to integrate material and make
42
knowledge functional.
Dysfunctional:
Meaning: not behaving or working normally
Use in sentence: The craftsman is likely to seem dysfunctional in a culture of
innovation and change.
Yew:
Meaning: an evergreen tree with flat leaves like needles and small red cones, or
the wood from this tree
Use in sentence: There is little sound except for the breeze stirring in the
churchyard yew trees.
Eue:
Meaning: Unable to find this word in dictionaries
Use in sentence: An eue passed in his life which made him dull for an year.
Allusive:
Meaning: containing a lot of allusions
Use in sentence: Her music is allusive.
Elusive:
Meaning: difficult to describe, find, achieve or remember
Use in sentence: The answers to these questions remain as elusive as ever.
Ladylike:
Meaning: graceful, controlled and behaving in a way that is socially acceptable
for a woman
Use in sentence: Laura is very ladylike and elegant.
Ladyship:
Meaning: a respectful way of referring to or talking to a woman or girl who has
the rank of a peer or knight without using her title
Use in sentence: We are honored to welcome your ladyship here tonight.
(1996)
Altogether:
Meaning: completely or in total
43
Use in sentence: The government ought to abolish the tax altogether.
All together:
Meaning: all at the same time
Use in sentence: The last time we were all together was in 1999.
Ambiguous:
Meaning: having or expressing more than one possible meaning, sometimes
intentionally
Use in sentence: His reply to my question was somewhat ambiguous.
Ambivalent:
Meaning: having two opposing feelings at the same time, or being uncertain
about how you feel
Use in sentence: I felt very ambivalent about leaving home.
Appraise:
Meaning: to examine someone or something in order to judge their qualities,
success or needs
Use in sentence: At the end of each teaching practice, trainee teachers are asked
to appraise their own performance.
Apprise:
Meaning: to tell someone about something
Use in sentence: The President has been apprised of the situation.
Bad:
Meaning: unpleasant; causing difficulties or harm
Use in sentence: Our holiday was spoiled by bad weather.
Badly:
Meaning: in a severe and harmful way
Use in sentence: She was badly affected by the events in her childhood.
Compare:
Meaning: to examine or look for the difference between two or more things
44
Use in sentence: If you compare house prices in the two areas, it's quite
amazing how different they are.
Contrast:
Meaning: an obvious difference between two or more things
Use in sentence: The antique furnishing provides an unusual contrast to the
modernity of the building.

Deduce:
Meaning: to reach an answer or a decision by thinking carefully about the
known facts
Use in sentence: We cannot deduce very much from these figures.
Imply:
Meaning: to communicate an idea or feeling without saying it directly
Use in sentence: I detected an implied criticism of the way he was treated.
Differ from:
another way
Use in sentence: His views differ considerably from those of his parents.
Differ with:
Meaning: to disagree
Use in sentence: I beg to differ with you on that point.
Farther:
Meaning: to a greater distance
Use in sentence: The fog's so thick, I can't see farther than about ten meters.
Further:
Meaning: to a greater distance or degree; at a more advanced level
Use in sentence: We discussed the problem but we didn't get much further in
actually solving it.
(1998)
Occlude:
45
Meaning: to close, shut, or block
Use in sentence: I try to set the end distance (at which the fog totally occludes
everything) no lower than 4000.
Occult:
Meaning: relating to magical powers and activities, such as those of witchcraft
and astrology
Use in sentence: She claims to have occult powers, given to her by some
mysterious spirit.

Practical:
Meaning: relating to experience, real situations or actions rather than ideas or
imagination
Use in sentence: Qualifications are important but practical experience is always
an advantage.
Practicable:
Meaning: able to be done or put into action
Use in sentence: The troops will be brought home as soon as practicable.
Raze:
Meaning: to completely destroy a city, building, etc
Use in sentence: The town was razed to the ground in the bombing raid - not a
building was left standing.
Raise:
Meaning: to lift something to a higher position
Use in sentence: Would all those in favor please raise their hands?
Canon:
Meaning: a Christian priest with special duties in a cathedral
Use in sentence: He was first appointed as a residentiary canon and only
became Chancellor after several years with us.
Cannon:
Meaning: a large, mounted piece of artillery; sometimes, specif., a large gun
with a relatively short barrel, as a howitzer
Use in sentence: Instead of eight machine guns, it now had twelve, or four
20mm cannon.
46
Avenge:
Meaning: to do harm to or punish the person responsible for something bad
done to you
Use in sentence: He swore he would avenge his brother's death.
Revenge:
Meaning: harm done to someone as a punishment for harm that they have done
to someone else
Use in sentence: He is believed to have been shot by a rival gang in revenge for
the shootings last week.

Caret:
Meaning: a mark (‸) used in writing or in correcting proof, to show where
something is to be inserted
Use in sentence: Some screen readers use the system caret to determine which
area of the screen to read or magnify.
Carat:
Meaning: a unit for measuring the weight of jewels
Use in sentence: 24-carat gold is the purest.
Revel:
Meaning: to separate the parts, esp. threads
Use in sentence: The road raveled rapidly and became merely a pile of loose
stones.
Reveal:
Meaning: to make known or show something that is surprising or that was
previously secret
Use in sentence: He was jailed for revealing secrets to the Russians.
Aviary:
Meaning: a large cage or closed space in which birds are kept as pets
Use in sentence: I have an aviary with 17 birds.
Apiary:
Meaning: a place where people keep bees, especially a collection of hives kept
47
to provide honey
Use in sentence: I once visited an apiary where there were numerous cardboard
boxes scattered around.
Demesne:
Meaning: possession of real property in one's own right.
Use in sentence: The manor of Melbourne was part of the ancient demesne of
the crown.
Demean:
Meaning: to cause someone to become less respected
Use in sentence: The entire family was demeaned by his behavior.
Brooch:
Meaning: a small piece of jewelry with a pin at the back that is fastened to a
woman's clothes
Use in sentence: She wore a small silver brooch.
Broad:
Meaning: very wide
Use in sentence: We walked down a broad avenue lined with trees.
Collision:
motorway.
Collusion:
network.
Fain:
Meaning: glad; ready
Use in sentence: He is fain to do all things himself.
Feign:
48
Meaning: to pretend to feel something, usually an emotion
Use in sentence: You know how everyone feigns surprise when you tell them
how old you are.
Hoard:
Meaning: to collect large amounts of something and keep it in a safe, often
secret, place
Use in sentence: During the siege people began hoarding food and supplies.
Horde:
Meaning: a large group of people
Use in sentence: Hordes of students on bikes made crossing the road difficult.

Illusion:
Delusion:
Meaning: when someone believes something that is not true
Use in sentence: He's under the delusion that he will be promoted this year.
Persecute:
Prosecute:
or (of a lawyer) to try to prove that a person accused of committing a crime is
guilty of that crime
Prescribe:
Meaning: to say what medical treatment someone should have
Use in sentence: The drug is often prescribed for ulcers.
49
Proscribe:
Meaning: to not allow something
Use in sentence: The Athletics Federation has banned the runner from future
races for using proscribed drugs.
Respectfully:
Meaning: in a way that shows you want to be polite or honor someone
Use in sentence: As the body was carried through the crowd, people drew back
respectfully.
Respectively:
Meaning: relating or belonging to each of the separate people or things you
have just mentioned
Use in sentence: In the 200 meters, Lizzy and Sarah came first and third
respectively.

Complacent:
Meaning: Satisfied
products.
Complaisant:
(2004)
Auger:
Meaning: a tool consisting of a twisted rod of metal fixed to a handle, used for
making large holes in wood or in the ground
Use in sentence: In order to measure the pH directly; the kit includes a plastic
auger to perforate the ground.
Augur:
Meaning: to be a sign of especially good or bad things in the future
Use in sentence: Do you think that this recent ministerial announcement augurs
a shift in government policy?
Fain:
50
Feign:
how old you are.
Emigrate:
Meaning: to leave a country permanently and go to live in another one
Use in sentence: Millions of Germans emigrated from Europe to America in the
nineteenth century.
Immigrate:
Meaning: to come to live in a different country
Use in sentence: He immigrated with his parents in 1895, and grew up in
London.

Envy:
Meaning: to wish that you had something that another person has
Use in sentence: I envy her ability to talk to people she's never met before.
Jealousy:
Meaning: a feeling of unhappiness and anger because someone has something
that you want
Use in sentence: The team has performed very badly this season due to petty
jealousies among the players.
Invade:
Meaning: to enter an area of activity in a forceful and noticeable way
Use in sentence: Concentrations of troops near the border look set to invade
within the next few days.
Attack:
Meaning: to try to hurt or defeat using violence
Use in sentence: He was attacked and seriously injured by a gang of youths.
Trifling:
Meaning: A trifling matter or amount of money is small or not important
51
Use in sentence: It was such a trifling sum of money to argue about!
Trivial:
Meaning: having little value or importance
Use in sentence: I don't know why he gets so upset about something that is
utterly trivial.
Simulation:
Meaning: a model of a set of problems or events that can be used to teach
someone how to do something
Use in sentence: The manager prepared a computer simulation of likely sales
performance for the rest of the year.
Dissimulation:
Meaning: To conceal one's true feelings or intentions.
Use in sentence: As an actress she had been trained to dissimulate, so she had
no trouble hiding her true feelings offstage as well.

Venal:
Meaning: A venal person is willing to behave in a way that is not honest or
moral in exchange for money
Use in sentence: A venal ruler
Venial:
Meaning: describes a wrong action that is not serious and therefore easy to
forgive
Use in sentence: Aristocracy is not an institution: aristocracy is a sin; generally
a very venial one.
(2005)
Counsel:
Meaning: to give advice, especially on social or personal problems
Use in sentence: The police have provided experts to counsel local people
affected by the tragedy.
Council:
Meaning: a group of people elected or chosen to make decisions or give advice
on a particular subject, to represent a particular group of people, or to run a
52
particular organization
Use in sentence: This play is supported by a grant from the local arts council.
Distinct:
Meaning: clearly noticeable; that certainly exists
Use in sentence: There's a distinct smell of cigarettes in here.
Distinctive:
Meaning: Something that is distinctive is easy to recognize because it is
different from other things
Use in sentence: She's got a very distinctive voice.
Deprecate
Meaning: to not approve of something
Use in sentence: We deprecate this use of company funds for political
purposes.
Depreciate:
Meaning: to (cause something to) lose value, especially over time
Use in sentence: Our car depreciated by $1500 in the first year we owned it.
Apposite:
in the year ahead.
Opposite:
Punctual:
Meaning: arriving, doing something or happening at the expected, correct time
Use in sentence: He's fairly punctual.
Punctilious:
Meaning: very careful to behave correctly or to give attention to details
Use in sentence: He was always punctilious in his manners.
53
Judicial:
Judicious:
Salutary:
Meaning: causing improvement of behavior or character
Use in sentence: It is however salutary to remember the genuine need for
originality in the creation of a copyright protectable database.
Salubrious:
Meaning: describes a place that is pleasant, clean, and healthy to live in
Use in sentence: He doesn't live in a very salubrious part of town.
Canvas:
Meaning: a piece of cloth used by artists for painting on, usually with oil paints,
or the painting itself
Use in sentence: These two canvases by Hockney would sell for £500 000.
Canvass:
Meaning: to try to get political support or votes, especially by visiting all the
houses in an area
Use in sentence: I've been out canvassing for the Labor Party every evening this
week.
(2006)
Voracity:
Veracity:
54
findings of archeology.
Persecute:
Prosecute:

Loath:
Meaning: to be unwilling to do something
Use in sentence: I'm loath to spend it all at once.
Loathe:
Meaning: to hate someone or something
Use in sentence: From an early age the brothers have loathed each other
Moat:
Meaning: a long wide hole which is dug all the way around a place such as a
castle, and usually filled with water, to make it more difficult to attack
Use in sentence: The site of the manor house is surrounded by a narrow moat
which is fed by water from the New River.
Mote:
55
Meaning: something, especially a bit of dust, that is so small it is almost
impossible to see
Use in sentence: Dust motes swam alongside the gloomy corridor.
Ingenious:
Ingenuous:
Fain:
Feign:
how old you are.

Wreck:
Meaning: to destroy or badly damage something
Use in sentence: Our greenhouse was wrecked in last night's storm.
Wreak:
Meaning: to cause something to happen in a violent and often uncontrolled
way
Use in sentence: The recent storms have wreaked havoc on crops.
Immigrant:
permanently
caught.
56
Emigrant:
(2007)
Affluence:
Meaning: having a lot of money or owning a lot of things
Use in sentence: What we are seeing increasingly is a society of private
affluence and public squalor.
Effluence:
Meaning: a thing that flows out or forth
Use in sentence: How can Reef Entertainment justify releasing this effluence on
the general public?
Wretch:
Meaning: a person who experiences something unpleasant
Use in sentence: A gentleman said that a week ago he was the wretch in the
county, but now saved.
Retch:
Meaning: to react in a way as if you are vomiting
Use in sentence: The sight of blood makes him retch.
Euphemistic:
Meaning: a word or phrase used to avoid saying an unpleasant or offensive
word
Use in sentence: 'Senior citizen' is a euphemism for 'old person'.
Euphuistic:
Meaning: Affected elegance of language.
Use in sentence: Euphuistic style has been used in many of his writings.
Amoral:
Meaning: without moral principles
57
Use in sentence: The spies are younger, less jaded but equally cynical and still
operating in a wholly amoral world.
Immoral:
Meaning: morally wrong
Use in sentence: It's an immoral tax, because the poor will pay relatively more.
Imperial:
Meaning: belonging or relating to an empire or the person or country that rules
it
Use in sentence: Delhi is a city of two centers, comprising imperial Lutyens
architecture and numerous monuments to the Moghul Empire.
Imperious:
Meaning: unpleasantly proud and expecting obedience
Use in sentence: He sent them away with an imperious wave of the hand.
Degrade:
Meaning: to lower in rank or status
Use in sentence: He likes to degrade people by calling them embarrassing
names.
Denigrate:
Meaning: to say that someone or something is not good or important
Use in sentence: You shouldn't denigrate people just because they have
different beliefs from you.
Temporal:
Meaning: relating to practical matters or physical things, rather than spiritual
ones
Use in sentence: Her starting point: 'The future is the only temporal area over
which people have power’.
Temporary:
Meaning: not lasting or needed for very long
Use in sentence: The ceasefire will only provide a temporary solution to the
crisis.
58
Precipitate:
Meaning: to make something happen suddenly or sooner than expected
Use in sentence: Fear of losing her job precipitated her into action.
Precipitous:
Meaning: sheer
Use in sentence: Precipitous slopes of Reid's Ridge are visible on the right.
(2008)
Mitigate:
Meaning: to make something less harmful, unpleasant or bad
Use in sentence: It is unclear how to mitigate the effects of tourism on the
island.
Alleviate:
Meaning: to make something bad such as pain or problems less severe
Use in sentence: The drugs did nothing to alleviate her pain/suffering.
Adverse:
Meaning: having a negative or harmful effect on something
Use in sentence: The match has been canceled due to adverse weather
conditions.
Averse:
Meaning: strongly disliking or opposed to
Use in sentence: Few MPs are averse to the attention of the media.

Persecute:
Prosecute:
59
Popular:
Meaning: liked, enjoyed or supported by many people
Use in sentence: She's the most popular teacher in school.
Populace:
Meaning: the ordinary people who live in a particular country or place
Use in sentence: Some studies show that workers in the nuclear industry are
more likely than the general populace to get cancer.
Compliment:
mother.
Complement:
combining with it
Use in sentence: The music complements her voice perfectly
Excite:
Meaning: to make someone have strong feelings of happiness and enthusiasm
Use in sentence: Nothing about my life excites me at present.
Incite:
Meaning: to encourage someone to do or feel something unpleasant or violent
Use in sentence: She was expelled for inciting her classmates to rebel against
their teachers. (Pair Repeated: 1)
Voracity:
Veracity:
60
findings of archeology. (Pair Repeated: 2)
Virtuous:
Virtual:
reasonable speed. (Pair Repeated: 3)
Exceptional:
Meaning: much greater than usual, especially in skill, intelligence, quality, etc
Use in sentence: The Company has shown exceptional growth over the past
two years.
Exceptionable:
Meaning: offensive or upsetting
Use in sentence: This action is normally only taken in exceptionable
circumstances. (Pair Repeated: 1)
English (Précis and Composition) 2009
Persecute:
Prosecute:
Use in sentence: He was prosecuted for fraud. (Pair Repeated: 4)
61
Luxuriant:
Meaning: growing thickly, strongly and well
Use in sentence: This stretch of land was once covered with luxuriant forest,
but is now bare.
Luxurious:
Meaning: very comfortable and expensive
Use in sentence: They have a very luxurious house.
Mean:
Meaning: to express or represent something such as an idea, thought, or fact
Use in sentence: These figures mean that almost 7% of the working population
is unemployed.
Mien:
Meaning: a person's appearance, especially the typical expression on their face
Use in sentence: His aristocratic mien and smart clothes singled him out.
Observation:
Meaning: when you observe something or someone
Use in sentence: The police are keeping the suspect under observation.
Observance:
Meaning: when someone obeys a law or follows a religious custom
Use in sentence: The State must enforce the observance of human rights in its
domestic legal order.
Naughty:
Meaning: not behaving properly; mischievous or disobedient
Use in sentence: Now that's naughty - you mustn't throw food on the floor!
Knotty:
Meaning: complicated and difficult to solve
Use in sentence: That's rather a knotty question.
Ghostly:
Meaning: pale and transparent
Use in sentence: The image is fading which gives the figure a rather ghostly
appearance.
62
Ghastly:
Meaning: unpleasant and shocking
Use in sentence: Today's newspaper gives all the ghastly details of the murder.
Hew:
Meaning: to cut a large piece out of rock, stone or another hard material in a
rough way
Use in sentence: The monument was hewn out of the side of a mountain.
Hue:
Meaning: a particular shade or tint of a given color
Use in sentence: In the Caribbean waters there are fish of every hue.
Maize:
Meaning: a tall plant grown in many parts of the world for its yellow seeds
which are eaten as food, made into flour or fed to animals
Use in sentence: Some of our foods may contain ingredients produced from
genetically modified maize.
Maze:
Meaning: An intricate, usually confusing network of interconnecting pathways
Use in sentence: The old part of the town was a maze of narrow passages.
Medal:
Meaning: a small, flat piece of metal with a design or inscription stamped or
inscribed on it, made to commemorate some event, or awarded for some
distinguished action
Use in sentence: She won three Olympic gold medals.
Meddle:
Meaning: to concern oneself with or take part in other people's affairs without
being asked or needed
63
Use in sentence: People shouldn't meddle with things they don't understand.
Imperial:
Meaning: belonging or relating to an empire or the person or country that rules
it
Use in sentence: Delhi is a city of two centers, comprising imperial Lutyens
architecture and numerous monuments to the Moghul Empire.
Imperious:
Meaning: unpleasantly proud and expecting obedience
Use in sentence: He sent them away with an imperious wave of the hand. (Pair
repeated: 1)
Voracity:
Veracity:
findings of archeology. (Pair Repeated: 3)
Illusion:
Allusion:
Use in sentence: Her novels are packed with literary allusions. (Pair repeated:
2)
Ordinance:
Meaning: a law or rule made by a government or authority
Use in sentence: City Ordinance 126 forbids car parking in this area.
Ordnance:
Meaning: all military weapons together with ammunition, combat vehicles, etc.
and the equipment and supplies used in servicing these
64
Use in sentence: Do not touch any military ordnance that may be found lying
around this area.
Willing:
Meaning: to be happy to do something if it is needed
Use in sentence: You said you needed a volunteer - well, I'm willing.
Willful:
Meaning: said or done deliberately or intentionally
Use in sentence: Willful killing is a grave breach.
Capital:
Meaning: a city which is the centre of government of a country or smaller
political area
Use in sentence: Australia's capital city is Canberra.
Capitol:
Meaning: the building in which a state legislature meets
Use in sentence: A state legislature will meet in a capitol building.
Assay:
Meaning: an examination or testing
Use in sentence: A positive result has been obtained in a mouse lymphoma
assay.
Essay:
Meaning: attempt/ a short piece of writing on a particular subject
Use in sentence: The Diploma is assessed by three essays of 3,000 words each.
Envelop:
Meaning: to cover or surround something completely
Use in sentence: The graveyard looked ghostly, enveloped in mist.
Envelope:
65
Meaning: a flat, usually square or rectangular, paper container for a letter
Use in sentence: A stamped, addressed envelope should be enclosed for reply.
Decree:
Meaning: an official statement that something must happen
Use in sentence: More than 200 people were freed by military decree.
Degree:
Meaning: amount or level of something
Use in sentence: This job demands a high degree of skill.
Desolate:
Meaning: describes a place that is empty and not attractive
Use in sentence: The house stood in a bleak and desolate landscape.
Dissolute:
Meaning: immoral
Use in sentence: He led a dissolute life.
Species:
Meaning: a set of animals or plants in which the members have similar
characteristics to each other
Use in sentence: Over a hundred species of insect are found in this area.
Specie:
Meaning: Coined money
Use in sentence: The next insinuation is that the Bank has refused specie
payments.
Tortuous:
Meaning: not direct or simple
Use in sentence: He took a tortuous route through back streets.
Torturous:
Meaning: causing torture
Use in sentence: It was torturous to think that he could have stopped the boy
from running into the road.
Wet:
Meaning: covered in water or another liquid
66
Use in sentence: My bike got wet in the rain.
Whet:
Meaning: to increase someone's interest in and wish for something
Use in sentence: I've read an excerpt of the book on the Web and it's whetted
my appetite.
Adjoin:
Meaning: be next to and joined with
Use in sentence: The kitchen adjoins the dining room.
Adjourn:
Meaning: break off (a meeting, legal case, or game) with the intention of
resuming it later
Use in sentence: The meeting was adjourned until December 4th.
Allay:
Meaning: diminish or put at rest (fear, suspicion, or worry)
Use in sentence: The report attempted to educate the public and allay fears.
Ally:
Meaning: a person or organization that cooperates with or helps another in a
particular activity
Use in sentence: He was forced to dismiss his closest political ally.
Bases:
Meaning: plural form of basis
Use in sentence:
Basis:
Meaning: the underlying support or foundation for an idea, argument, or
process; status
67
Use in sentence: Trust is the only basis for a good working relationship. She
needed coaching on a regular basis.
Click:
Meaning: a short, sharp sound as of a switch being operated or of two hard
objects coming quickly into contact
Use in sentence: She heard the click of the door.
Clique:
Meaning: a small group of people, with shared interests, who spend time
together and do not readily allow others to join them; Circle
Use in sentence: Almost no one from her clique showed up at the reunion.
Distract:
Meaning: prevent (someone) from giving full attention to something
Use in sentence: Don't allow noise to distract you from your work.
Detract:
Meaning: reduce or take away the value of
Use in sentence: These quibbles in no way detract from her achievement.
Liable:
Meaning: responsible by law
Use in sentence: The supplier of goods can become liable for breach of contract
in a variety of ways.
Libel:
Meaning: a published false statement that is damaging to a person's reputation
Use in sentence: She sued two newspapers for libel.

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